now / then

I had known her barely two weeks, when a remarkable opportunity came up: a friendly colleague – who had to forego his reservation of a cottage on the beach to visit a sick mother – offered to let me use the cottage. I eagerly asked her, and, to my surprise and pleasure, she accepted. We would drive four hours to the beach the following Saturday. I dreamed of the weekend the entire week, planned every little detail and went to pick her up early Saturday morning. I was in for a surprise. She hadn’t packed and she wasn’t dressed for the trip. Then she delivered the blow without a word of explanation: she didn’t feel like going. I was crushed. Her mother, an elegant tall woman, who stood in the kitchen a few feet away and heard the exchange, came over and said apologetically, “I’m sorry she stood you up.”

She urged me not to be disheartened and offered a cup of tea. I was in no mood to tarry, but decided to be polite and accept. As we talked, I realized what a thoughtful, charming person she was. By the second cup, I felt distinctly better. When I told her that I didn’t want to go to the beach alone, but hated to miss using the cottage, she astonished me and said she would be glad to come if I wanted.

It proved to be an agreeable drive. She was easy-going and a great conversationalist. We arrived at the beautiful cottage, right at the edge of the sea, and she unpacked all the food she had brought. We had a light but superb lunch, and spent the entire afternoon on the beach, swimming a little and talking a lot. The cottage had a small but modern kitchen, and afterward we drank as she cooked dinner and I helped. A great candle-lit dinner on the backyard followed. The cottage had two main bedrooms, but the smaller one seemed under renovation. She said she didn’t mind sharing the master bedroom, as there were two large beds. It was wonderful that we could switch off the lights and continue sharing stories.We talked for a long time, and I said that it had been a perfect day for me. Then, she decided to make it more perfect still. Silently, she shuffled over and got under the blanket with me.